Affiliate Disclosure
Clear. Honest. Transparent.
Guardency is funded through carefully selected affiliate partnerships. We may earn a commission when you choose a service through our links — at no extra cost to you.
Our editorial process, rankings, and recommendations are based on independent testing and structured evaluation criteria. Compensation never influences our conclusions.
How Affiliate Links Work
Transparency builds trust. Here’s exactly how affiliate partnerships support Guardency — and why they never influence our editorial integrity.
1. What Is an Affiliate Link?
Some links on Guardency are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase a VPN through one of them, we may earn a small commission — at no additional cost to you. These links often lead to exclusive deals that we negotiate for our readers.
2. Why We Use Them
These commissions allow us to conduct independent laboratory testing, maintain infrastructure, and keep all content freely accessible. We do not place content behind paywalls or charge readers for access.
3. Editorial Independence
Compensation never determines rankings. Every VPN is evaluated using our 27-metric framework. Results come first — partnerships follow. We review both affiliate partners and non-partners to ensure a complete market overview.
Affiliate Links Do Not Influence Rankings
Our recommendations are determined by structured testing results — never by commercial agreements.
No Paid Positions
We do not sell rankings, featured placements, or positive reviews. Whether you are looking at our top 10 list or a individual provider review, visibility is earned through performance, not purchase.
Testing Comes First
Every VPN is scored using our 27-metric framework before any affiliate relationship is considered. If a service underperforms in speed or security, it ranks lower — regardless of partnership status.
Strict Separation
Editorial testing and monetization operate independently. This structural separation ensures that privacy-focused services and market giants are measured on a level playing field.
Transparency Is a Core Principle
Guardency is built on the principle that users deserve clear, structured, and unbiased information when choosing privacy tools. Affiliate partnerships allow us to operate sustainably — but they never define our conclusions.
We maintain a strict separation between testing methodology and monetization. If you have questions about our process, affiliate relationships, or evaluation criteria, we encourage you to reach out. Accountability is part of how trust is earned.